Allaho (4-7 favourite) sauntered to a second successive victory in the Grade One Ryanair Chase (Registered As The Festival Trophy) on the third day of the 2022 Cheltenham Festival.
The eight-year-old ran away with this Grade One, under Rachael Blackmore, 12 months ago beating subsequent Aintree Melling Chase winner Fakir D'Oudairies by 12 lengths.
And this time under Paul Townend, he led them a merry dance once again from the start. He was jumped superbly throughout a few lengths ahead of Eldorado Allen, who did try to get close to Allaho midway through the 2m5f contest. But Allaho remained dominant and moved about four lengths clear at the fourth-last fence.
And from there he just stretched further clear and came home by a massive 14 lengths with the staying on Janadil (12-1) just ahead of Eldorado Allen.
The Gordon Elliott-trained Randox Grand National joint top weight Conflated – who won the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup last month – took a crashing fall when he was trying to get on the run for home.
But it was all about Allaho is appears peerless in this 2m4f chasing division.
A delighted Mullins, securing his 83rd Cheltenham Festival winner and a fifth of the week, said: "Paul was good on the horse and the horse was good. Mrs Thompson was here as was Richard and the whole of the family. It is a great day for all of them. This year people were keeping an eye on him and they werent going to give him an easy time out in front. He just showed them he can jump and gallop them into submission. We didn’t have any negative things about him. I was just worried would himself and Paul gel over the first few fences. I’m very happy with him.
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“Excellent (is how to describe it in one word). The horse jumped and galloped for Rachael last year so he (Paul Townend) had huge pressure coming into this competition and after the first race he had more added pressure. But as I’ve already said Paul Townend is someone better with pressure. When there is someone leaning on his neck he excels and that is what I love about Paul he doesn’t get flustered and he gets the job done. You wouldn’t think he has any nerves at all the way he jumped out in front in that race.
“He jumped from fence to fence and came down to the last as if it wasn’t there and that is a mark of a champion. I was a nervous wreck. The horse was doing everything right for Paul then coming to the last I thought here we go again but he got over it and jumped it well. Paul has nerves of steel and I’m delighted he is on our side.
“I don’t know what the form book says but 12 months ago I was standing in awe of him. This year I was suppose we were used to it now. Last year it was just an awesome performance and a very good performance this year.
“You know me I like to stick to what works so I’d be planning for the Ryanair next year and I wouldn’t be backing him ante-post for any other races yet. I might go back to two at Punchestown with him we will see.”
Mullins and Townend had missed out on victory in the opener when Galopin Des Champs fell at the last fence when well clear.
The winning rider said: "Earlier is gone now. I'm OK and the horse is OK, we've a good horse and I was lucky in those colours a couple of years ago in the Triumph and I suppose it doesn't make it any easier but what goes around comes around.
"It would make you wonder why I didn't pick him (Allaho) last year wouldn't it? He's an animal to gallop and jump. He's just really good. I got into a lovely rhythm on him again, it was straightforward.
"We took our time in learning about him but I think we've got there now. That's what he likes doing, he's built for it, look at the size of him. I'm delighted."
Bob Olinger (6-5) ran out a fortunate winner of his match with Galopin Des Champs (5-6 favourite) in the Grade One Turners Novices’ Chase (Registered As The Golden Miller).
The two unbeaten young chasers clashed in the opener and it looked as if the race was at the mercy of Willie Mullins' Galopin Des Champs after he led from the start and had his rival in trouble as he went well clear coming to the last.
But under Paul Towned, the six-year-old, came crashing down after jumping the final fence to allow Bob Olinger and Rachael Blackmore the opportunity to win the Grade One.
It was a sad end for Galopin Des Champs, but a second victory of the week for trainer Henry De Bromhead and Blackmore.
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Busselton, despite being 40 lengths back, eventually came home second.
Winning jockey Blackmore – partnering her second winner of the week after Honeysuckle's second Champion Hurdle success on Tuesday – admitted she was a fortunate winner.
The Randox Grand National-winning rider said: "It's fantastic to win but nobody likes winning in those circumstances and it was brilliant to see Paul and Galopin Des Champs get up.
"I was happy with him, he made one or two little errors, so there's definitely room for improvement there, but four out I wasn't delighted and I thought I'd be travelling better.
"I don't know if it was the true Bob Olinger today, even coming up the hill it wasn't the fashion of last year and I was never going to catch Paul.
"It's strange emotions but unbelievable to get another winner here.
"I think he's a Gold Cup horse, he's one of the best in Henry's yard so I wouldn't be too disheartened today as I know that wasn't the true Bob, for whatever reason I don't know, but we're lucky to have him.
"The ground might have blunted him but it's just soft, jumping ground so I wouldn't use that as an excuse as he's won on heavy the last day."
Trainer De Bromhead added: "We looked well beaten, obviously. I was surprised to see him off the bridle as early as he was. I thought he jumped reasonably well; he got into one at the top of the hill, I think the fourth-last, he just put down at that and walloped that, but was ok and came back on the bridle. We still have to work on the jumping.
"But I thought on the first circuit he jumped really well. But I didn’t think I’d ever see a horse have him look like that, I have ever to say.
"I never thought I’d see a horse do that to Bob. And obviously, we all want to win but we don’t like to win like that, but it’s great to win, of course. It’s all work in progress - it’s only his third race over fences, and he’s won a Grade Three, a Grade One… it’s fantastic, but you don’t like to win a race like that.
“It was disappointing [the way he ran]. But, interestingly, Rachael said she wasn’t happy with him at all, so we’re going to get him looked into, which we would have had to do anyway if Galopin Des Champs had stood up. We need to go and dig and see what is wrong with him, because he definitely didn’t look right.
“I’d feel silly saying anything about whether he might be a Gold Cup horse or a Ryanair Chase horse after that run now, so let’s see. We need to work out what has happened, but prior to today we’d always felt he was Ryanair, Gold Cup, whatever – we don’t really mind, but today has put me back in my box. It sounds terrible when we won, but there we go.
“Fair play to Galopin, that was some performance he put in. You lose races like that as well; it just happens. It was ironic that it was our jumping that was questionable – but this game is just mental, isn’t it? Always expect the unexpected.”
County Carlow trainer Mullins reported that Galopin Des Champs was fine after his fall and remains sure that he has a big future over fences.
He said: "He's fine. The reins just got caught around his leg and he panicked a little bit and it took a while to get it all sorted. I think Paul is probably sorer than the horse is.
"Paul just said he landed well and slipped on his next stride. We move on.
"I'm very pleased with the performance and I suppose we're getting used to horses falling at the last around here – first of all Adamant Approach and then Annie Power and Benie Des Dieux.
"It's disappointing, but we have a sound jockey and a sound horse and we live to fight another day – and I'm sure we've been on the other end of the scale as well.
"It's tough, but it looks like we could have a very special on horse on our hands.
"I'm delighted I ran him in that race because I can go back to two miles now – we can do anything we want with him.
"It has always been in the back of my mind that we could go back in trip with him."
Third Wind (25-1) got up late to land the Grade Three Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle.
The Hughie Morrison-trained eight-year-old won the Grade Two Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock Park last year and was third in this year's renewal back on Merseyside last month.
But back down into a handicap, under Tom O'Brien, he relished the softer conditions after Wednesday's rain – and after being in the pack for much of the 2m4f contest, he came through over the final flight to challenge 11-2 joint favourite Alaphilippe.
And after a thrilling battle to the line he scored by a neck. Mill Green (33-1) was a further two lengths back in third; the other 11-2 joint favourite Winter Fog was a further length adrift in fourth with Honest Vic (40-1), who was leading over the last hurdle, fifth and If The Cap Fits (33-1) sixth.
After a stewards' inquiry into possible interference as the two horses came close together on the run to the line, the result stood.
Trainer Morrison said:“I watched the head on on the screen and it was six of one and half a dozen of another. We came here really relaxed for a day out. We couldn’t win off this mark two years ago.
“The ground was perfect for him as it was genuine soft ground. Haydock was bottomless the other day and he can’t handle that. On his day he is a very good horse. He is a cracking horse.
“He is a great home bred. Ann Plummer bred the dam and grand dam and her daughter Mouse Hamilton-Fairley bred him.
“Rather like Frenchman’s Creek, we didn’t come here expecting anything. He has been up there and won a Grade Two. He was fourth of the same mark two years ago. He is a very good horse on his day. These are his conditions soft ground and when they go a good gallop.
“He ran a very nice trial the time before Haydock at Warwick and he was entitled to beat Alaphilippe and Sire Du Berlais as he been dropped a bit more since then.
“We were lucky it rained. Tom rode a spectacular race. We said jump off positively but he was right at the back and Sire Du Berlais was also out the back there. Tom took the brave route and he came there but he thought he was always going to get there. He said he won easy.
“The thing about him when he hits the front he doesn’t do a lot. I think we were the winner on merit. The ground was perfect today and Tom rode a fantastic race.”
Winning jockey O'Brien added: "The stewards were fine – when you look at it from all angles, there was no contact. Alaphilippe drifted right, I drifted right with him, but there was no contact. Third Wind – as he’s getting older, he looked up into the stands; I didn’t actually have to get vigorous with him, he was always holding the neck, but he drifted slightly to the right.
“I was thinking, keep following Alaphilippe through the race, because I thought he was eye-catching at Warwick and I wanted to follow him around because I thought he would take me into it, so I was sticking close by him and, luckily, I had a good run through.
“It’s all part of the job [the stewards’ inquiry]. You’d do anything to fight… you try your best not to bend the rules, but there are other times you feel you bend them more than I did today. I was confident that the horse would hold the race; if I bent the rules I would take my punishment, but to get the win is what it’s all about.”
